First Stop Singapore
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page....
Singapore has never been top of my list, not that I haven’t wanted to go, there were just other places that always came first. I’ve heard great things and some not so great things. It was an obvious choice for those of us who have had enough of flying non-stop between Sydney and London with only a few hours in an airport to stretch your legs before the next flight. After our last trip back from London I promised myself, as long as I had the time, I would never do it again! So we stopped in Singapore for 2 nights for a quick culture hit, shower and actual real bed to sleep in!
This particular real bed happened to be a super special, lux hotel bed at the Six Senses Maxwell. Such a treat and a VERY nice way to decompress after a stressful few weeks getting ready to leave Sydney.
The little details really made it for me; there was the book left on my bedside table called ‘Qi Gong for total wellness’. Qi Gong is an ancient self-healing practice that combines breathing, posture, movement and visualisation to build vitality and improve your health. It’s based on the 9 Palaces System from the White Cloud Monastery. Not your typical find in a hotel room but totally normal when TCM is standard practice. There was also an energy chime next to the bed, with details on how its sound will restore your energy flow and bring about a state of wellbeing. A healing and balancing sound to bring you ‘good vibrations’.
The water was all in glass bottles and filtered on site, there were handmade bath bombs in the bathroom containing the fruit slices used in the cocktails down in the bar which are then dried out and added to the product. The hotel itself arranges a clothing drive that both staff and guests can contribute to and we were told all the food in both restaurants is all organic where possible. There was a champagne and rosé bar (DREAM) and a ‘library’ bar with its walls lined with books from floor to (mirrored) ceiling. All in all, the tiny details did not go unnoticed and we had an unforgettable stay.
For just over 48 hours we were explorers. We didn’t really go off the beaten track but we walked the streets of the city soaking up as much as we could in the short time we had. One day we walked over 15km – 23,171 steps to be precise! It felt good to be immersed in another culture, even if Singapore is a bit of mad mix of lots of different cultures, a real international ‘hub’.
We ate beautiful food, some from local hawker centres, others in more fancy settings (Yellow Pot at The Duxton was a highlight) We tried local beers, drank cocktails on the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands (obvs) and did a whole lot of people watching. We ate dinner in China Town and stumbled upon the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore during their evening prayer; something that felt so special to be part of.
Singapore felt different to how people had described it, the sky scrapers were there of course and it did feel clean but everywhere had more character and charm than I was expecting. The area we stayed in was low-rise and had colourful, pretty colonial buildings in every street. Cute bars, shops and restaurants – it felt creative and intriguing more than shiny and ‘soul-less’.
It was the perfect stop-over for us and made the flight into London feel like a walk in the park in comparison to how I usually feel about that journey. It got the travel juices flowing and make both of us feel even more excited about what the next few months have in store for us. We had the added bonus of sharing some of our time in Singapore with two of our closest friends too which made the whole experience even more special.
Having the opportunity to travel will always be something I’m incredibly grateful for. Spending money on making memories instead of things I think, will always be a priority for me.
And so the journey continues…